National Barley Growers Association

Enhancing and maintaining the profitability of the U.S. barley industry.

Welcome to the National Barley Growers Association

The NBGA is a national barley advocacy organization formed in 1989 to advance the national and international interests of US barley producers in the six major barley-producing states of Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon and Washington. The state of Maryland joined the organization in 1996. We work closely with federal policymakers, congressional offices and regulatory agencies to ensure our barley producers’ concerns are considered.

The United States is the eighth-largest barley producing country in the world and, after corn and sorghum, is the third major feed grain crop produced in the United States. From 2004 to 2008, U.S. grain producers planted 4.0 million acres of barley, contributing over $750 million to the nation’s economy.

Barley is a short-season, early maturing crop grown on both irrigated and dry land production areas in the United States and is grown for animal feed, food, or malting. Production is concentrated in the Northern Plains states and the Pacific Northwest in areas where the growing season is relatively short and climatic conditions are cool and dry. Historically, livestock consumed most of the barley produced in the United States, but food and industrial uses have shown continued growth while feed uses of barley have declined. Most is now grown to be malt barley because of the price premium it commands. Currently, U.S. barley usage is approximately 66 percent food and industrial use, 12 percent export use and 22 percent feed and residual use.